Since relocating from Australia to Thailand at the start of the year, my partner and I have been searching for the perfect place to call home …

In the hills of Koh Tao, we found a bungalow that costs less per day than a Venti Caramel Frappuccino. The bunglaow features one bedroom, a small kitchen and bathroom, two balconies, and a spectacularly uninspiring interior.

But HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THE VIEW:

Featuring veneer panelling, fluorescent lights, and a generous layer of gecko droppings, this one was a fixer-upper. We decided to live our a home improvement fantasy and give it a makeover.

One toenail was broken during the process.

And now, the hard work is over.

I give you …

The Makeover

Before

After

Our most indulgent item: the Italian bedspread. I have fallen in love with Granfoulard and they’re not even paying me to say that! (Dear Granfoulard: Please note, I do accept payment in bedspreads.)

With the help of a little Pinterest inspiration, we sourced furnishings in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Vietnam. We zigzagged through the Mecca of Bangkok in hot pink taxis, hunting down markets and haggling with stall owners down to the last crumpled baht.

Two bowls. Two wine glasses. Two plates. One saucepan. One fry pan. Absolute simplicity.

The linen curtains are dreamy. They flutter with the sea breeze and give us privacy at night, but when we wake up in the morning, we can still see a shock of blue ocean through the sheer fabric.

I wanna cry. I absolutely love everything. I love that wooden pot hanging by string. Is that the lady you wouldn’t part with? 🙂 I’m so happy you were able to make it go from drab to fab. I love the simplicity. Love it, love it, love it.

Wonderful makeover guys, well done! I can imagine it would have been quite the adventure getting all that stuff there, but definitely worth it for the tropical retreat you have created! I like your style 🙂

Um, wow. I want to go to there. I’ve just stumbled across your blog and I think I’m going to have to read back through all your other posts, then try to convince my husband that we should move to Thailand. What an amazing transformation, and an amazing livestyle!

WOW can you be my real estate agent next time my wife and i are looking for accommadation in thailand! $5!! How did you get on to this place? I need to know your secret pretty please. Until you let me know i will just have to be jeleous and in awe of your achievement.Well done guys( bastards) sorry its just my aussie sense of humor.

I will start by saying my heart hurts this morning catching up on your posts — I’m back home after a year based in Koh Tao and your photos are filling me with nostalgia and a weird homesickness.

Secondly, I really regret never taking the time to set up a “home” like you did here! I bounced from shitty bungalow to shitty bungalow and never took the time to do something amazing like this. I wish I had! Kudos!

So where is Ivan doing his diving? Let me know if you need any recs for anything… I’ve been on and off the island for years now…

Hi Alex. Perhaps you need to come back to help with that homesickness. 😉

Ivan has just finished his IDC with Sunshine in Chalok. He’s now looking for work. Who were you diving with? I’ve gone through your blog to read as many diving articles as I could find. Your photos are amazing.

You just trigger so many great memories of Koh Tao. I spent a month there, and loved this little island where I learnt to dive and did a lot of nothing, except eat Red Coconut Curry every night. You transformed this little oasis you called home.

If I wanted to be like you…..which I do…..would I have to know how to sail before buying a boat and casting off? Also, do you think a dog is doable on an adventure such as this. Also, do they really have internet in Thailand…lol….wow! You are my heroine~

Gosh! you are living the life I have been dreaming about for ages. Every night I vision myself meeting my man and building and creating a sanctuary to live over looking the sea, mountains and wildlife nature. its very inspiring and emotional to see your pictures, its as though you are have a created the actual picture of my minds eye of dream sanctuary 🙂 Wow! love it,

I just read your book in two days. Thank you for sharing your story with the world! Michael and I will also travel by sea in exactly 621 days… but who is counting!

I feel a closeness to you, Torre, because this is MIchael’s dream. I always figured I would be living in the Rockies somewhere with long flowing hair and beads adorning my body with a pottery wheel on the porch and vegetable and flower gardens out back.

I’ve always been very adventureUS …. 🙂 so moving into Michael’s dream was not difficult for me. I, like you, had never been on a sailboat. We now own a 44 foot Morgan center cockpit. She is a blue water cruiser and is as anxious to get out there as we are!

We would be honored for you to read our blog. So far we have not written on travels since we are still in Seabrook, Texas, but I can assure you that the blog will make you smile!

We looking into going to live in Thailand. BF also in IT I’ve just finished massage therapist diploma. In London now, just got passport an need to get away from city life. I have a less is more mantra. This city is too much more. Just finished your book, good read, thanks! How did you decide on ‘where’ in Thailand. I’ve started the research ad totes overwhelmed!! x

Thank you for your beautiful article. I love Phuket, I’ve been there last year and I would like to say that it is also a great place if you want to learn about Thai culture. Apart from swimming in the beautiful Andaman sea I was really looking for a culture immersion. So I booked myself on a trip to Phuket FantaSea Thai Cultural Theme Park. It was like my introduction to Thai culture in a very entertaining and positive way. The show was impressive and the elephants in the show – majestic and just adorable. The place is definitely a must see when you’re in Phuket!

I just loved your book Torre and I am recommending it to my family and grandchildren. It is fantastic and I travelled together with you in my imagination Thanks for it and please enjoy us with other books. I can imagine to practice yoga in such a beautiful environment!